Update: Victim identified in Federal Way murder on Tuesday

Federal Way police are searching for witnesses who saw a 19-year-old killed during a drive-by shooting yesterday.

The shooting occurred at about 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday at the intersection of South Dash Point Road and Pacific Highway South.

The King County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the victim as Arturo Marcial-Alvarez Wednesday afternoon.

Police spokeswoman Cathy Schrock said officers found Marcial-Alvarez unconscious on the sidewalk. Attempts were made to revive him, but he was pronounced deceased on the scene. He had just exited a Metro bus and was alone when he was shot.

“What the preliminary investigation says is that a vehicle approached the area where the victim was and fired several shots,” Schrock said, noting the shooting appeared to be targeted. “We are not aware of the motive of the shooting.”

Marcial-Alvarez’s last known address is in Kent.

Schrock said the victim has a history of criminal contacts with Federal Way police.

He’s been convicted of a car prowl and has been arrested on drug-related crimes that were “probably pending prosecution,” she added.

The shooting occurred during rush hour traffic. As detectives investigated, traffic was reduced to one lane going southbound on Pacific Highway South.

“It was a very busy area, and we’re very lucky no one else was injured,” Schrock said. “… As far as I know, there were no other property damaged or other people injured, but when anybody is firing shots, the likelihood of innocent people being hit is always there.”

At this time, police have not released the make, model or color of the vehicle the drive-by shooters were driving but plan to do so as more information is available.

“Because it was so busy, there may be witnesses that saw something that maybe couldn’t stop because they were on their way to go somewhere important,” Schrock said, adding those witnesses should call 911 if they have information that could help solve the murder.

King County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Cindi West said in a press release Wednesday detectives are investigating whether the shooting of a 21-year-old man in Burien Tuesday is connected to the homicide in Federal Way and another in Seattle, which all occurred within hours of each other.

This is the second murder in four days for Federal Way. In the early hours of Saturday, a 21-year-old man was shot and killed at a house party. Detectives do not believe the two murders are connected, however, as Saturday’s shooting suspect has since been arrested and charged.

Tuesday’s murder marks the third of its kind in 2017, which is common for Federal Way in its first quarter.

Schrock said, from April 27 to May 10 in 2016, Federal Way experienced four murders within a concentrated time frame.

“But we also believe those four shootings were associated to one suspect, and we believe that suspect, although he’s not been charged yet, is in custody on other charges,” she said.